How To Do Transcription

There are many places to start doing transcription. One of the first things you need to do before you get started is to get a good foot pedal. A foot pedal attaches to your computer in the USB port so you can start and stop the audio without having to use your hands. This is a very key feature, and will increase your transcription speed considerably. There are a lot of different types of programs to listen to your audio files. A favorite of most transcribersis Express Scribe. This program is very easy to use and user-friendly. Another item that you will definitely need to listen to your audio files is a good headset; noise reduction headsets are usually preferred. These come in a wide variety of prices and sizes.

Another thing you should probably do when getting into the world of transcription is find a good community site with which to engage. These community sites or forums can help you find work through larger companies, and sometimes you can even get some overflow work from other transcribers to get you started. This overflow work helps you find out what kind of transcription is right for you, whether it be Legal, Medical, or General. After you start building up some experience, then you begin building a transcription resume which will help you get into some of the larger companies that require seasoned transcriptionists.

When you do apply to transcription companies, nearly all of them will make you take a transcription test to see if you can do their sort of transcription. Normally it’s a 2-3 minute test, but in some cases it can take as long as 20 minutes. Remember to follow all of the guidelines that they send you word for word. They are sending that information to you to help you.

There are several companies out there that offer transcription work for new transcriptionists. Many places require you to have a few years of experience. You can check around by doing web searches for transcription companies and find the ones which offer work for those who are interested in getting started in the field of transcription.

You will probably need to decide if you are willing to do work in the evening, morning, or overnight. You also are able to do what is called rush work for companies as well. Rush work is generally less than 24 hours from the time that you receive your audio files. Rush audio requires a transcriptionist who can type quickly. A good way to find out how fast you type is to do an online typing test. If you test slowly, don't worry! Hold off on the rush jobs for a while, and understand that you will gradually build your speed up as you work. It's usually recommended to take smaller files when you first start transcribing, and then work your way up from there.